Wire tightening and twisting machine



July 11,1939. H. w. cox

WIRE TIGHTENING AND TWISTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1937 A? FIG. I

Patented July 11, 1939 PATENT oFFmE WIRE TIGHTENlNG AND TWISTING MACHINE.

Australia Henry Wilfred Cox, North Melbourne, Victoria,

7 Application February 19, 1937, Serial No. 126,719

. Claims. (Cl. 1 -53) This invention relates to hand operated wire tightening and twisting machines of the type which is adapted to tighten a wire abouta case or package by the movement of a cam or toggle 5 which effects lateral swinging of a spring pressed arm or arms to which the wire'to be tightened is temporarilyv secured, and has been devised to ensure efiiciency of operation of the machine, to simplify the construction, and to speed upthe 39 operations of tightening and twisting the wire,

The machine of this invention includes wiretightening instrumentalities such as disclosedin my co-pending application filed February 19, 1937, Ser. No. 126,720.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan' of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of portion of the machine.

A metal plate I0 having a fiat under face is provided'on its upper face with lugs I I, II for a transverse shaft which carries a hand lever I3 and a central partially rotatable block I4. The lever I3 is partially rotatable in a vertical plane in forward and-in backward direction, and the block is fitted with lugs I5 which are adapted to be engaged by the arms I6 of the lever I3 when the latter is swung over towards the front of the machine so that the block is partialy rotated in the same vertical plane by means of the lever. Loosely mounted within the cheeks of the block is a driving gear wheel I! which meshes with a slotted wire-twisting pinion I8 rotatably mounted on lugs carried by the plate II].

The block I4 is fitted with a pair of sliding pawls which, when the lever is in extremeforward position, slip into suitably shaped notches in the gear wheel I! and on the return movement of the lever effect rotation of the gear wheel and of the twisting pinion I8. The pawls are automatically removed from the notches during the completion of the backward movement of the lever I3. The gear ratio of the wheel I1 and pinion I8 is arranged to produce at least three revolutions of the pinion for the limited movement of the gear wheel.

The lower ends of the arms I6 of the lever I3 are provided with bosses which are adapted to engage spring returned slidable blocks I9 which carry cutters to sever the excess ends of the wire when the lever is completing its backward movement.

Pivotally mounted on the rear end of the plate 55 II] are two forwardly extending arms 20 on each of which is independently pivoted a forwardly extending arm 2|. The front end. of one of the arms 2I is provided with an automatically acting wire grip 22 which forces the end of a wire to be tightened into gripping contact with a fixed "post 23 onthe plate Iii when the wire is beingtightened. The front end of the other arm'ZI is provided with a spring-pressed serrated wire gripping, member 24 which forces the wire against apro'jecting faceof the arm 2|.

A two piece toggle having arms 25, 25 pivoted on a central post 26, is pivotally connected with the arms 29. The post 25 is carried by a slidable block 2? fitted with adjustable cable or chain retaining members 28.

A flexible wire cable 29, which may be replaced by a chain, is secured at each of its ends to the members 28 and passes under rollers 30 and through apertures 3|, 32 in the block I4 so that partial rotation of the block I4 by the lever I3 effects forward movement of the block 21 and consequent straightening out of the toggle so that the arms 20 and 2I are pushed outwards from the machine and tighten the wire held by the grips 22 and 24.

A vertically swingable double-fingered member, having one of its fingers 33 positioned to engage a lug 34 on the under face of the lever I3, is adapted to be pressed against the forward central portion of the toggle, when the lever is returning to inoperative backward position, and forces the toggle backwards so that the arms 20 and 2| are returned to inoperative position when the excess ends of the wire have been severed by the cutters on the blocks I9.

The rear portions of the arms 2| are connected with each other by means of a spring 35. This spring tends to prevent outward swinging of the arms 20 and 2! and thus tends to prevent overtensioning of thewire. It also assists to return the toggle to inoperative position. Apparatus for automatically adjusting the efiect of this spring on the arms 20 and H is described in my oo-pending application.

A handle 36 to assist in steadying the machine during operation and for transport purposes is secured to one of the lugs I I, and a stop 31 on the rear end of the plate In prevents excessive backward movement of the lever I3.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, wire tightening means comprising two wire gripping devices, a pivotally mounted arm carrying one of said gripping devices, a toggle arranged to swing said arm away from said other gripping device, a pivotally mounted operating lever, a block rotatable by said lever, an operating connection between said block and toggle, and a lug on said lever adapted to return said toggle to inactive position.

2. A wire tightening and twisting machine comprising an operating lever swingable forwardly and backwardly, a block rotatable by said lever, a gear adapted to be coupled with said block on completion of forward movement of said lever, a wire twisting pinion in mesh with said gear, forwardly extending laterally swingable arms carrying wire grippers, a spring connected with said arms, a toggle for swinging said arms away from each other comprising a slidable block between said arms and links connected to said slidable block and arms, and an operating connection between said slidable block and rotatable block.

3. A wire tightening and twisting machine comprising an operating lever swingable forwardly and backwardly, a block rotatable by said lever, a gear adapted to be coupled with said block on completion of forward movement of said lever, a wire twisting pinion in mesh with said gear, forwardly extending laterally swingable arms carrying wire grippers, a spring connected with said arms, a toggle for swinging said arms away from each other comprising a slidable block between said arms and links connected to said slidable block and arms, a wire cutter mounted on each side of said wire twisting pinion, a boss on said operating lever adapted to operate said wire cutters during completion of its backward movement, and an operating connection between said slidable block and rotatable block.

4. A wire tightening and twisting machine comprising an operating lever swingable forwardly and backwardly, a block rotatable by said lever, a gear adapted to be coupled with said block on completion of forward movement of said lever, a wire twisting pinion in mesh with said gear, a wire cutter slidably mounted on each side of said pinion adapted to be operated by said lever during completion of its backward movement, forwardly extending laterally swing-- able arms carrying wire grippers, a toggle comprising a slidable block between said arms and links connected with said slidable block and arms, an operating connection between said slidable block and rotatable block, a lug on said lever, and a rotatable member adapted to be engaged by said lug during completion of backward movement of said lever and to press against the central portion of said toggle.

5. A wire tightening and twisting machine comprising an operating leverswingable forwardly and backwardly, a block rotatable by said lever, a gear adapted to be coupled with said block on completion of forward movement of said lever, a wire twisting pinion in mesh with said gear, forwardly extending laterally swingable pivoted arms, a slidable block, toggle links pivotally connected thereto and to said arms, a forwardly extending arm pivoted on each of said first-mentioned arms and each of them carrying a wire gripper, a spring connected with the rear portions of said gripper carrying arms, an operating connection between said slidable block and rotatable block, a wire cutter mounted on each side of said pinion, and a boss on the lower part of said lever adapted to operate said outters during completion of backward movement of said lever.

HENRY WILFRED COX. 

